Salvation Vacation
by Elvyn-Light
Summary: After the journey of world regeneration, Kratos decides to make a visit to the others. But after Raine is attacked, his plans for ‘vacation’ are ruined.
1. Prologue

**Summary: **After the journey of world regeneration, Kratos decides to make a visit to his son. But after Raine is attacked, his plans for 'vacation' are ruined.  
**Rating: **PG-13 (T)  
**Disclaimer: **The Tales of Symphonia characters and previous plot belong to Namco & Kosuke Fujishima. I own only the plot of this story.

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**Salvation Vacation**  
**Prologue**

Raine Sage yawned quietly, stretching slightly in her bed at the Santa Cassius Inn in Meltokio. _I swear I heard something_, she thought. She and her brother were continuing the walk along the path they chose at the end of the world-regeneration journey: they were trying to convince others that half-elves weren't so bad. But the task was twice as hard for Raine, who was also trying to help Genis conquer his own anti-human and –elf feelings. Sometimes she thought he was a hypocrite, but… maybe it would all work out in the end. _After all, everything worked nicely after Kratos left. He did come back, after all._

Turning to the window, Raine brushed the curtains aside, feeling the breeze filter through. _It's still the middle of the night_, she thought. _So why did I wake up? _Uneasy, she fell back into her sleeping position. After making sure that Genis was fine, she closed her eyes.

Not two seconds later, a blade was at her neck. "Don't move."

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**Author's Note: **Yes, the prologue was very short. _Very_short. But the next chapters will be longer; I promise. Anyway, I have finals this week, and I got the idea for this story when I was trying to study, and I wrote this when I was done with my tests. But.. since I'm obsessed with ToS, this story should be updated frequently. Just to let you know, my favorite character is Kratos. 


	2. The Second Assassin

**Summary: **After the journey of world regeneration, Kratos decides to make a visit to his son. But after Raine is attacked, his plans for 'vacation' are ruined.  
**Rating: **PG-13 (T)  
**Disclaimer: **The Tales of Symphonia characters and previous plot belong to Namco & Kosuke Fujishima. I own only the plot of this story.

**

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**

**Salvation Vacation**  
**Chapter One: The Second Assassin**

_ "Don't move,"_ stated the person standing over Raine. "Otherwise…"

Raine realized that if she fought back, Genis would be in danger. She complied, waiting in stillness.

"Follow me," he or she instructed.

She followed in obedience, checking for her staff as she got out of bed. It wasn't there. _That person must have it, _she thought. The two proceeded to walk out of the room, Raine checking that Genis was still asleep. _That's really weird. Genis always used to wake up, even if I was just snoring. I'm supposed to be the sound sleeper._ Confused, she exited Santa Cassius with whoever and followed them through the city. They passed the stairs and the item shop, ending up in the courtyard behind the area. Raine was surprised when her kidnapper pulled over the covering to the sewers.

"You know –?" she started to question.

"Shut up!" her kidnapper whispered harshly.

She sighed and climbed down the ladder before whoever it was followed and closed the lid. Afterwards, she felt herself being pushed into the water (not sewage; treated water!) and screaming. Her lungs filled with water and she remembered no more.

-Kratos- 

Kratos Aurion stepped out of the warp point, exiting Derris-Kharlan. He trudged through the remnants of the Tower of Salvation, surprised that the place hadn't been demolished. _In fact, it almost looks like somebody's been restoring it. But that's not possible.. like Raine said, it was a symbol of hope. Some people just can't let go of traditions. _He continued down the steps and went outside. Taking out his wings, he flew into the air, trying to think of what to do next. _Now, if I want to get to Sylvarant, then.. they must have made a path between the two worlds, right? Not just Yuan's transporter, but.. _Unsure of what to do (and what had happened to the other Seraphim), he decided to go to the Otherworldly Gate.

Flying over the water, he soon found the Gate. But it wasn't just a pile of rocks anymore. Apparently, someone had found a way to harness its mana, converting it to a port capable of being used anytime. Taking a step forward to the Gate, he instantly felt fatigued. _I need to take a rest. _Deciding to visit Lloyd tomorrow, Kratos set off for Flanoir.

-Genis- 

Genis' eyes shot open. _Raine! _He jumped out of bed and burst out the door, dashing down the stairs and outside. "What to do, what to do!" he exclaimed. About ten feet away, he saw the guards approaching him.

"Who dares disturb the peace of Meltokio?" one shouted to him as the two indoor knights began to surround him.

Not bothering to answer, Genis thought of an idea. _If the guards are coming for me, then.. they aren't at the entrance! _"Excuse me!" he yelled, trying to burst through the makeshift barrier.

"What the Hell!" the other guard shouted, not understanding why a midget kid would try to pass them. "Look, kid," he began, sticking out his spear when-

"Force Field!" Genis burst through the two (covered by his guard) and dashed down the street, ending up by the gate. With much effort, he pulled one door open and passed the knights on the other side, running through the grass to a bushy area. Entering a field, he boarded the Rheiard he and Raine were using to travel. "C'mon, c'mon," he muttered, seeing the four knights approach the clearing. "There we go!" he shouted as the machine roared to life. It was just in time; as he stepped on the ignition, the guards crashed through the bushes just as he lifted off the ground. _Raine's not going to like this…but I have to find where she is first! _Thinking fast, he resolved not to fly to Sylvarant but to look for Regal and Presea in Altamira. To avoid being spotted, he flew over the ocean. _I have to find her!_

_-Kratos-_

Kratos continued his way towards Flanoir. He could just barely see the tips of the mountains surrounding the icy land when his angel-trained hearing picked up a sound. He stopped flying forward and merely hovered. _What is that? It almost sounds like a Rheiard. _He turned to his left, as that was where the sound was coming from. Suddenly, the craft sped by him. _What- who in the name of Martel was that? _Deciding that no sane person would be flying a craft through Tethe'alla at full speed in the middle of the night, he pursued whoever it was. Turning southeast to follow its path, it only took several minutes of flying to figure out where the Rheiard was headed: Altamira. About fifteen minutes later, an exhausted Kratos landed after the craft at the entrance to the city. He saw a small figure pop off and dash up to the fence which kept people from going in or out at night. Walking up so that he was a few feet behind the (short) figure, he listened in on his or her conversation with the guard.

"What do you mean, I can't go in?"

"Sorry, kid. It's gamblers' night, which means there's alcohol everywhere. It's not a safe environment for kids. Come back tomorrow morning, then you can go swimming," the guard stated, walking away.

"Ugh!" the small figure shouted, turning around to go sit on his or her Rheiard.

_That voice sounds familiar.. _Kratos walked up to the child's side. "What are you doing?"

The figure jumped. "Whatever the flip I want to be doing, gosh," he or she answered.

Kratos was stunned. _Where did this attitude come from? _But he knew who the figure was. "Genis Sage, do not use that tone with me. I'll have to tell your sister," he taunted.

Genis jumped. "Kratos!" he exclaimed, before leaping off the Rheiard and tackling him. "Why are you here? How did you get here? What-"

Kratos interrupted him by putting a hand over his mouth. "Genis, might I ask you what you're doing here? And where's Raine?"

The half-elf paled. "Raine's been kidnapped. And I don't know where she is!"

The angel's eyes widened. "I think you mean abducted. But how-"

"I know how," someone said. "And I know where and why, too."

Kratos turned to the side, drawing his sword. "Who are you?"

"Temper, temper, Kratos. You usually aren't one to put your companions in danger. After all, you helped Sheena. Sheena…that bitch."

_ Who would mind Sheena? Who even knows Sheena besides the people we met on the journey? Nobody, except – the people from Mizuho. _Suddenly, it clicked. "Kuchinawa, show yourself."

The aforementioned stepped into the area. "You haven't changed much, have you? Always one to risk everything for someone else. I don't see why you care, really. It's not a job anymore. You don't have to do this."

"What do you want?"

"Your death." Kuchinawa drew two daggers and started running towards Kratos and Genis.

"Move!" Kratos shouted, picking up Genis and throwing him into the ocean water. "Guardian!"

Kuchinawa, having run past him, spun on his heel and started quick movements to strike. The angel was deflecting most of them, although having a hard time of it. Suddenly, it seemed like Kuchinawa had an idea. He disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared next to Genis, who was still recovering in the water.

"Stop! Or the kid gets it," Kuchinawa threatened mercilessly. "It's nothing less than the two of you deserve for helping Sheena." The Seraphim froze. Kuchinawa was advancing, pulling Genis (who had his arm twisted behind his back) with him. "You and Sheena.. you both don't deserve to live. I mean, think about it! You killed your wife. Sheena got half our village killed. You both try to make things better, but that's not what people remember, is it? They only remember what you've done wrong. The others an – I'm going to give you something to remember. Now, if you'll jus-"

"Thunder Blade!" Kratos yelled. Kuchinawa grinned, as if he had been expecting this; yet he didn't move. Genis fell to the ground next to the ninja's still body, as if pretending to be injured.

"He's paralyzed," the angel muttered, "Let's go."

Genis scrambled to his feet, a little worse for the wear, but not as bad off as Kuchinawa. "Okay," he breathed quietly, as if afraid that the Mizuho native was going to come after them.

Kratos jumped on the Rheiard. Genis followed suit, clambering up behind him. After the craft started and they were safely in the air, it was a few minutes before the conversation continued.

"So," Kratos asked, "what happened to Raine?"

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**Author's Note: **Genis' quote, "Whatever the flip I feel like doing. Gosh!" is like Napoleon Dynamite's movie by the same name. It is not my quote. Otherwise, I love writing this story. More should be up later, most likely when finals are over. And they should be longer too. I'm wondering if I should make this rated K, because somehow I feel incited to put gore, "curse words," etc. in it. Thanks to MoonCannon for being my first reviewer.Please review! 


	3. Location Crisis

**Summary: **After the journey of world regeneration, Kratos decides to make a visit to his son. But after Raine is attacked, his plans for 'vacation' are ruined.  
**Rating: **PG-13 (T)  
**Disclaimer: **The Tales of Symphonia characters and previous plot belong to Namco & Kosuke Fujishima. I own only the plot of this story.

* * *

**Salvation Vacation**  
**Chapter Two: Location Crisis**

Raine awoke in a dark, dank room. _This must be a dungeon. _She tried to move, but found that she was bound to the wall by a two-foot-long chain. _Where am I? _Staring around, she saw the form of someone else approaching.

"I see you have woken up, Raine," he or she said.

Raine struggled. _That voice…it sounds familiar…_

"What are you thinking about? How you left Genis? You're the same as my brother was."

_What's that supposed to mean? _"Who are you?"

The other ignored this outburst and continued his or her monologue. "The two of you are so alike. My brother left me locked up in that Abbey. You just left your brother behind, with nobody to care for him…"

_Abbey? She must be referring to… no, it couldn't be… _"Seles," Raine interrupted, "what do you want?"

"Ah, so you figured it out. I didn't think it would take this long; after all, you are a professor," she sneered. "To answer your question, though, I need something."

"I don't have anything you would need."

"Not with you, but I'm sure they'll come."

Raine tensed. "Don't you dare hurt Genis!"

Seles laughed cruelly. "That miserable half-elf couldn't give me anything. But you can help me. I need another friend of yours."

"Who are you talking about!"

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll come soon enough. In the meantime.." She kicked a bowl filled with a gruel-like substance inside so that it slid over to Raine. "Eat. The bait can't be allowed to die." She started to walk away. "Before its task is fulfilled, anyway." She stopped. "By the way, this room tends to leak. We're expecting a storm, so…" Seles smirked before exiting the room and slamming the door shut. The metallic sound resonated throughout the room.

_What in the world? I'm bait, but for who? Ugh, this is just like a ruin without any textbooks inside… _Raine reached for the gruel, pulling the chain linked to her cuffed hands as far as they could go. _Idiot! I can't even reach it. Not like that stuff looks edible, anyway. Worse than my cooking._ She continued searching the room for anything of use. _There's nothing here, except.. _Leaning up against the wall she was bound to was a broom. _Aha! _Shuffling on her knees, she clasped the deck brush between her hands. _Now, what can I use this for? _After a few minutes of trying to bang on the walls to get attention (Martel knows whose), Raine resigned to thinking. _Useless piece of crap!_

Suddenly she had an idea. _If I could make this work as a staff, then.._ Raine started chanting, facing the wall and concentrating hard. "Light! Photon!" she finally yelled as a ball of light energy hit the place where the chain was screwed into the wall. "Yes!" she shouted in a sort-of victory yell. She then resumed solemnity. _Now, to get out of here.. _She discovered that there was a table a few feet past her line of sight. _It's an operating table. Is this some sort of lab or something? _Focusing again, she utilized Photon for a light source. "It is…and I think I've been here before." Knowing that she couldn't leave the way Seles did, she searched the bookshelves. _This is the half-elves' laboratory. _Pushing aside one of the bookcases, a secret exit was revealed.

Raine dashed through the tunnel and came up through a porthole. _Who knew these were so useful? _Recovering her exit, she realized it was raining. "Aw, my clothes!" Not having bothered to change from her Professor costume the night before (as she was exhausted after giving speeches to a reluctant crowd), she was still in them. And they were ruined. "Ugh…" Suddenly, a crack of lightning stole through the sky. As if on cue, it started pouring. "Dammit," she muttered, dashing through the streets of Sybak until she exited. _I need shelter._

Following the path the group had used to get to Ozette and Mizuho, Raine dashed to Gaoracchia Forest. In dismay, she discovered that it was still as wild as ever. "At least the rain stopped," she whispered to herself. Walking slowly along the path, a Bellpepper Head jumped out at her. "You have got to be kidding me!" Without any support, she found herself constantly being knocked to the ground when trying to spellcast. She finally resorted to running away. Finding a small cave-like area made out of smaller trees, she took refuge.

_It's so cold.. _she thought. Resisting the urge to fall asleep, she examined her abrasions. There was a large cut along her upper arm, and a gash on her thigh. _It could have been worse. _Trying to cast a healing spell, she found herself without enough magic. Searching for her bag, she realized that she didn't have it on her at night. _This means I don't have any orange gels. Damn. _Without much else to do, she cast a half-hearted Ray for heat. _I left Genis alone, and now I'm alone too_, she thought before falling asleep.

Kratos & Genis-

"So," Kratos asked, "what happened to Raine?" 

After hearing Genis' short explanation, Kratos made up his mind. _It isn't a job, but it is a task. _"Genis, you have to go visit Lloyd."

The half-elf stared indignantly at Kratos' back. "What? Why!"

"It's too dangerous for you to come too. If they could take Raine, they would have no trouble taking you down as well."

"But they didn't want me! They would have taken me with her."

The angel sighed. "We don't know what they want. Listen to me; you cannot come along." He steered the Rheiard to a landing at the Otherworldly Gate. "Here. This will take you to Sylvarant."

Genis made a face as he got off the Rheiard. "You owe me."

Kratos ignored him and continued, "I'm assuming this will take you to Triet. You can fly to Lloyd's house from there."

"Okay, okay. I'm not a baby anymore."

"Go, Genis," he instructed, flying the craft over to the Gate's platform. Genis boarded it and waved.

"You'd better get her back!"

Kratos just nodded and watched as the serviceman activated the platform and the young half-elf disappeared. Turning around, he extended his wings and flew towards Meltokio. _He said they were staying here. I doubt there will be any clues, but.. it's a good place to start. _Left to his thoughts, he suddenly changed direction. _I should inform Sheena of Kuchinawa's intentions first. _He was nearly to the city when he saw a flash of light. Doubling back, he discovered that it came from Gaoracchia Forest. _There must be a fight. Or maybe someone is lost and is calling for help… _With an annoyed "humph," he did the right thing and descended through the trees to the path below. Sword drawn, he walked down the path.

"Hello? Anybody in here?" Continuing his walk, he suddenly heard a sound. _Hmm?_ As he walked, the sound got louder. Ready for danger, he ran to where he believed the noise was coming from and pointed his blade at the source – a person. "You!" But there was no immediate response. His impatience growing, the Seraphim poked the snoring form with the tip of his sword.

Stunned, Raine awoke. "Ermph.. what?" Stretching, she opened her eyes. "I was just getting to sle – what? Kratos?"

Kratos, somewhat embarrassed, sheathed his sword. "Salutations."

The half-elf stared at him. "Why are you here? How did you find me?"

Not wanting to seem concerned, he said, "I was just taking a jaunt."

"I see," she replied, getting up and supporting her tired self with her deck brush. "So, isn't the scenery beautiful?"

"I suppose it is, in an unconventional way," he said, getting tired of the little 'game.' "But now, why are you here?"

"It's a long story," Raine mused. She explained her tale, Kratos listening unemotionally. When she finished, she sighed. "They said they were after someone, but who?"

"That does present a dilemma," he replied, "but we'll find out soon enough. In the meantime," he paused, observing Raine's various bruises, "your wounds need to be healed." Backing away, he performed Healing Stream and looked for any other signs of distress. "Well, there's nothing wrong, but –" putting aside his shame, he reached out and felt her forehead, "-you have a high temperature. You're sopping wet, too."

Frustrated that the Seraphim was restating the obvious, Raine burst out. "What do you expect? I've been running from whoever it was! Without my staff, without my pack, without my brother -"

"But you do seem to have acquired a charming deck brush. It goes nicely with your Professor look."

Raine glared. "Well, do you have any better ideas? Besides, I don't have any other clothes."

Kratos mused. "I do, though."

She stopped glaring and her face turned to one of humoured disbelief. "What are you suggesting?"

"Your brother instructed that I bring you back. And I doubt that he meant that I should let you catch pneumonia while I am...while I am…" he paused, "retrieving you. So," he pulled out his Judgment outfit, "you should wear this."

Raine considered laughing, but noticed that he was dead serious. "Fine then," she muttered, taking the clothes. "I'll be back in a moment."

Wandering over behind a few other trees, she changed from her tattered Professor outfit to Kratos' Judgment costume. When done, she decided that it wasn't so bad – then again, she had no idea of how ridiculous she looked. _And what's with these belts? _Sighing, she toted her clothes back to Kratos. "Well."

Kratos had a look of near-surprise on his face when she returned, but his expression soon returned to being emotionless. "If you want those to be repaired, I'll keep them." He tried to take them from her, but Raine had fallen asleep, relying on her deck brush for support.

He sighed. _How indemnifying these "tasks" are. _Switching his position and that of the deck brush, Raine was now leaning on him. He let her down slowly until she was on the ground. Taking off his pack, he laid it under her as a sort of pillow. She was still sound asleep. _What a vacation._

He soon became bored of simply staring at the trees, so he stretched out on the other side of the makeshift shelter and stared at the ceiling above before falling into a dreamlike state.

**

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**Author's Note:** This chapter was perty good, I daresay. Anyway, tomorrow is the last day of school, so I'll have forever to think of new ideas and update. And I do like the Kratos/Raine pairing. I hope they aren't too out of character here, but Raine's suffering from lack of sleep and Kratos is…just being Kratos; heh. Review, please!


	4. Forest Flight

**Summary: **After the journey of world regeneration, Kratos decides to visit the others. But after Raine is attacked, his plans for 'vacation' are ruined.  
**Rating: **PG-13 (T)  
**Disclaimer: **The Tales of Symphonia characters and previous plot belong to Namco & Kosuke Fujishima. I own only the plot of this story.

**

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Salvation Vacation  
****Chapter Three : Forest Flight**

Raine woke up late the following morning. To her dismay, Kratos was nowhere to be found. "So much for solving the problem together," she muttered aloud before straightening her clothes. Snatching up her deck brush, she crawled out of the canopy and wandered along the closest path. _Now where could he have gone?_ A few minutes later, she came to a point where two other paths met the one she was walking on. In this wide space stood the seraphim in question, apparently practicing his swordsmanship. Raine leaned on a tree, deck brush in hand. _If he didn't notice me, why should I tell him?_

Kratos drew his sword, stabbing an invisible enemy. Next he back-stepped, dodged to the side, and slashed at the foe again. Back-stepping once more, he suddenly turned around for a vertical slash and found himself face-to-face with the spying half-elf.

Raine's eyes widened a good bit before calming down again. "Er, good morning, Kratos."

"Raine," he nodded in greeting before sheathing his sword and started walking back to camp. The healer noticed that he was favoring his right leg slightly.

_That's strange_, Raine thought, _but maybe he just tripped over a stray vine. He'd probably just get irritated if I brought it up. He's a big boy; he can take care of himself. _She watched as Kratos disappeared around a bend up ahead and rushed to catch up. As she rounded the curve, she swore she could have seen the flash of a spell. _There's nothing here to fight, though. Very strange…_Shrugging once more, Raine caught up to him just as he approached the camping area.

"We should move out," Kratos said, gathering his pack from underneath the makeshift cover.

"Er, yes, I suppose so," Raine replied, wondering what they would do now.

"I know that figuring out why Zelos' sister was after you is of crucial importance, but we should go inform Sheena of Kuchinawa's once-again murderous intent."

She nodded. "Understood. To Mizuho, then?" Kratos just started walking along the path in the opposite direction from whence they had came. "Kratos?" she asked, "I think you're going the wrong way."

Kratos turned and stared. "How do you know?"

Raine opened her mouth to quote some encyclopedia or other resource, but found herself without one. She blushed, lowering her voice in embarrassment. "Well, the last time we– I went through here, we…"

"You what?" the angel inquired tauntingly.

"…we just guessed."

"Well. My guess is that the correct direction is this way," he replied, continuing on in his direction. Once again without map to quote, Raine found herself following like a puppy.

_Ugh, this makes me so…mad! Now I see where Lloyd gets his indignant attitude. _Rolling her eyes, Raine was jolted out of her reverie when she heard Kratos say something. "Did you just cast First Aid?" she wondered.

"No. I asked, 'Which way?'" he replied, motioning to the two paths ahead.

Raine stared at him. "But I could have sworn that you just healed yourself!" Watching for any signs of guilt, she was only met with his signature emotion-defying hair in return. _Not again! _"Whichever way you think is best, Mr. Supreme Guesser." She watched as he turned away once again and followed the left path. They continued in this manner for about half an hour, Kratos picking whichever way suited him, and Raine following.

"I think we're going the wrong way," Raine finally spoke up, looking behind her to see how far back the last fork in the road was. Kratos did not stop, however. "Kratos! Are you listening to me?" She turned around, running to catch up and putting her hand on his right shoulder. "Kratos!" Spinning him around, she gasped.

The angel's complexion was a sickly green color. Raine looked around for the source of the strange tint. She eventually found a rip in his pants around the back of his calf, and the visible skin there was also green. "What happened!" she demanded. But she was not given an answer, as the angel soon collapsed forward onto her. Her eyes widened as she tried to hold him up, but soon failed. With an "Mmrph!" of surprise, Raine fell backwards, Kratos on top of her.

Raine's eyes widened once again as she realized what position they were in. Her face took on a dark pink hue as she thought, _Dear Goddess Martel, what have I done to deserve this?_ "Kratos! Kratos! WAKE UP, YOU IDIOT ANGEL!" To her great disappointment, there was no response. Trying with all her might to push the 172-pound seraphim off of her, she finally succeeded in rolling the two of them over so that their positions were reversed. Blushing even harder, Raine scampered up and ran ten feet away.

After regaining her composure, the half-elf returned to Kratos' side. "Kratos?" There was still no answer. Raine became a bit worried after this. _What's wrong with him? _Checking the back of his right leg, she discovered the source of his green complexion: the poisonous cut on the back of his leg. Resisting the urge to smack him upside the head, Raine yelled, "Why didn't you say anything!"

Glaring at him, she realized his emotion-defying hair had fallen to the side as a result of their little…escapade. Shuffling over so she was by his shoulder, she stared at his face. _He looks so…innocent, almost. Like an…angel. _Raine continued staring until she realized what she was doing and blushed. (Again.) _What am I doing! _she mentally slapped herself. _He's green, for Martel's sake! He might be dying! _Shoving all previous thoughts aside, she checked for a pulse and found it at a slow fortybeats per minute._Should angels even have a pulse? This is all very interesting. I must record my findi-FOCUS! _Getting to her feet, Raine took her staff and shouted, "Purify!"

Raine watched as the green color washed out of his complexion and was replaced with the normal, peach-like coloring. Suddenly, Kratos opened his eyes.

"…"

Raine was so transfixed by his non-hair covered face that she kept staring, even as he sat up.

"Is there something on my face?"

Realizing what she had done, the healer shook her head frantically, blushing all the while. "No, nothing's wrong," she muttered, before going into Punishment Mode. "What were you thinking! You were poisoned, Kratos! You could have died! I understand now! You didn't have any Panacea bottles, so as the poison slowly drained your strength, you kept healing yourself! And then when you ran out of magic…" She paused for a dramatic effect, staring him down. It was then that she realized…

Kratos was blushing.

Raine blinked. _Blushing? Hohoho! Wait until- _A pang of guilt hit her. Crouching down, she sighed. "Just because you can't feel something doesn't mean it's not there," she said slowly. "Even if that poison didn't hurt, it was affecting you. If you had just asked, I would have…" She stopped, not knowing what else to say.

"…thank you," came the reply.

_Thank you? _She thought, bewildered. "It was nothing," she muttered, embarrassed, as Kratos got to his feet, rearranging his hair in the process.

"We've been walking in this forest for about an hour," he stated.

Raine sighed. "Yeah. I don't remember it taking this long last time." Kratos stopped mid-step. _What is he doing? _"But of course, there's no other way…"

He turned to her. "Or is there?"

Raine shifted her deck brush from one hand to the other. "I don't understand what you mean," she replied nervously.

Kratos walked back over to her, taking her hand with his left and reaching around her waist with his other arm. "Hold on," he instructed.

Raine's eyes widened as she saw, for the second time in her life, Kratos extend his angel wings. _They're so…pretty…and so blue…and-ahhhh! _With a sudden gust of air, she felt her feet leave the ground. Letting go of his left hand, she clasped both her arms around the angel's neck, closing her eyes tight. _Please, don't let me fall. Please, don't let me die._

She thought she heard a small chuckle from Kratos and blushed.

After several minutes, she felt them dropping and held on tighter. _Don't fall don't fall don't fall… _"Do not be afraid," he said. Raine relaxed slightly as her feet touched solid ground. She slowly let in a breath before realizing the position they were in.

"…"

Embarassed, she stepped away quickly. "Sorry, and, uh, thank you," she said to Kratos' back, as he had turned around after she stepped away.

"Mizuho is this way," he said, walking over the short bridge that separated the entrance to Gaoracchia Forest from the village. Raine followed quickly. Several minutes later, they were at the gate.

"Halt! How do you know of the location of our village? No outsiders are permitted!" barked a guard.

"Don't worry, Yukio. They are our friends," said Orochi as he approached the entrance. "Welcome back, Raine. And this is..?"

Raine turned to Kratos as he stepped forward. "Kratos Aurion."

"Ah, right. Are you Raine's…er…beau?"

Kratos immediately looked downwards at this comment as Raine shook her head wildly. "Uh, no, no, it's not like that! We're friends. Friends!" she shouted, on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Calm down, calm down. Now who's there?" called a familiar voice.

"I think I heard a girl's voice. C'mere, future hunny, the great Zelos is ne-"

There was a large SMACK as the two speakers came nearer. The first, a female with purple hair, was clad in a red robe, the traditional Mizuho dress of the chief. Soon after her the other came into view, a twenty-something man with vibrant red hair and a handon his cheek.

"Ouch, Sheena, that hurt," Zelos whined.

"You deserved it," Sheena replied without even looking back. Turning to the gate, she broke out into a smile. "Raine! Kratos! Welcome back!" she shouted, running over to meet them. "Er.." Her arms were extended for a hug, but she looked around as if searching for permission.

"Oh, Sheena!" a certain red-haired Chosen squealed as he launched himself into her arms. A WUMP was heard as he hit the ground. "Ow.."

"Hello, Sheena," Raine said, shaking her hand and winking.

The chief smiled and turned to the seraphim. "Kratos," she nodded, shaking his hand as well.

By this time, Zelos had crawled to his feet. Seeing Raine, he shouted, "I was right! The great Zelos always knows when his hunnies are around!" He extended his arms for a hug, but was disappointed when Sheena and Raine walked past, deep in conversation. "Aww." He pursued the two girls, walking after Kratos.

The afternoon passed without much action. Inside the chief's hut, Raine explained to Sheena what had happened to her, and then Kratos told her about Kuchinawa. Zelos pouted, remarking that it was "too bad that I couldn't be your knight in shining armor, Raine," with a slight glare at Kratos afterward. To no avail, however; he was shunned by the infamous emotion-defying hair that was the angel's.

"That's it. I'm going with you," Chief Fujibayashi announced. The other three stared. "I'll put Tiga in control of Mizuho, but there's no way I'm going to miss helping my friends. Besides, a little activity once every few years never hurt anyone."

"I'll come too," remarked Zelos. "I can't let my hunnies go without protection!" At this remark, Raine quickly glanced at Kratos, but saw nothing written on his face. She sighed.

"Well, I don't really see why not. We need all the help we can get."

Sheena grinned. "Then it's settled."

Oddly enough, Zelos was deep in thought. "But that doesn't sound like something Seles would do," he said quietly.

Sheena nodded slightly. "And I don't think Kuchinawa would act like that, either. No matter how much he…hates…me."

Kratos nodded. "All the more reason to discover the source of these attacks."

Raine yawned, staring out the window. "Wow, it's getting dark," and indeed it was. Dusk had come and gone, and the small lanterns surrounding the village paths had been lit.

"You're right," Sheena said with a nod. "I sleep in here," she said, motioning to a back room, "and Zelos was using this room. He's been visiting for about a week," she said in answer to Kratos and Raine's questioning looks.

"I can sleep outside," the healer volunteered. "It's not often that I get to look at the stars."

"I'll sleep outside too, then!" Zelos piped up.

"NO, thank you," Raine replied quickly.

"Okay, I'll get you a mat and some blankets. What about you, Kratos?"

Not too eager at the prospect of sharing a room with Zelos, the angel said, "I'll stay outside as well."

Sheena looked between the two very quickly, then shrugged. "Okay then, two mats it is. Zelos, make yourself useful and come help me. You two can go find places outside."

Raine got up as Kratos did the same, heading outside near the garden. She picked out a spot near the garden while the seraphim continued wandering around.

"There you guys are!" Sheena commented. "You both can sleep over here," she said, unable to see the two's questioning stares. "You could sleep facing eachother. You know, feet in the middle. I just wouldn't want to see you sleeping on one of the paths. They're just so…dirty," she added quickly.

"Er, okay," Raine said, not wanting to speak up.

"…"

Raine grabbed a mat from Sheena and two blankets from Zelos before proceeding to set her bed out. Kratos did the same.

"See you tomorrow, guys!" Sheena shouted as she walked back to the hut with Zelos.

"Bye, hunny! And…you other guy," Zelos said.

Raine stretched out, staring at the sky. Suddenly, a thought struck her.

"Kratos, how did you know where Mizuho was? You weren't with us before.."

"You tend to learn a lot over four thousand years."

"Oh, right…sorry."

A few minutes passed as Raine's embarrassment returned to normal levels.

"Kratos?"

"…yes?"

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Raine."

**

* * *

Author's Note: Finally, I have another chapter up! Many apologies for the long wait. I was on an out-of-state vacation for forty days, and afterwards I had to catch up on schoolwork. I made this chapter longer than the last, though, so don't be too upset! Heh. And like always…review, review, review, please!**

And for those who have reviewed, here are a few responses as a reward for reading this chapter, too.  
**Scarlet Kratos: **Thanks!  
**Fenrir Hellfyre: **Heheh, I thought so too. I hope you liked this chapter!  
**Tenshi no Namida: **I've just played the game through a second time, and I saw more of Seles (I chose Zelos instead of Kratos, sadly). Anyway, I'm trying to work on the villain problem. Thanks!  
**E.S. Simeon: **"Er…" is right. But imagining Raine in the Judgment outfit is funny all the same!  
**Miss Raine Sage: **Thanks! I like "The Battle of Raine," by the way. I've just been too lazy to review it as of yet..  
**Can't-Think-Of-A-Good-Name-So-This-Will-Do: **Thank you.  
**Yukashi Tenshi: **Yeah, sorry about the long wait. I hope you liked this chapter, though!  
**WhiskersIsMyCat: **Darn, one error. :P I hope this chapter didn't have you too lost!

Thanks again, and...review!


	5. Matters of Clothing

**Summary: **After the journey of world regeneration, Kratos decides to make a visit to the others. But after Raine is attacked, his plans for 'vacation' are ruined.  
**Rating: **PG-13 (T)  
**Disclaimer: **The Tales of Symphonia characters and previous plot belong to Namco & Kosuke Fujishima. I own only the plot of this story.**

* * *

Salvation Vacation  
**

**Chapter Four : Matters of Clothing**

Raine awoke the next day with her face in the soil. Apparently, she had rolled off the path and into the garden overnight. With a sigh, she picked herself up off the ground and brushed the dirt off of Kratos' outfit. Eyes widened she realized the consequences: the fiery wrath of said mercenary over the destruction of his favorite costume. Wait, was it his favorite? Raine couldn't really tell.

In what she hoped was a stealthy manner, the half-elf scurried around the side of a house only to run into Zelos, who was leaning against the wall.

"Woah, my intellectual beauty! What's got you in such a hurry?" the former Chosen asked.

"Have you seen Kratos?" Raine asked, flustered.

"Can't say that I have. I've been sitting out here ever since Sheena kicked me out. Speaking of which, it's been pretty quiet in there for a while. I wonder if she got out somehow?.."

Without warning, the Professor slid open the door to the chief's house. Indeed, it was empty. "She's not in here," Raine called from the main room.

Zelos walked – or, rather, strutted – into the room. "Which means we are alone. Oh, I understand!" he shouted gleefully.

"Oh, really?" Raine cocked her head. "Then where are –"

"This was all just a magnificent ploy to get alone time with me! Whoever knew the innocent Professor could be so cunning? Anyway, what did you have in mind, my –"

A large smack resounded throughout the room. With a sigh, Raine walked out of the room and paused, leaning on the opposite wall. "Something tells me it'll be YOU sleeping outside tomorrow!" she called back. "Ugh, some things –"

Once again, Raine was cut off as the trick wall swung around, leaving her sprawled out on the ground by the wall. Cringing, she got back up and looked around. She spotted Sheena on the bridge, apparently giving out orders as to what to do in her absence.

"Sheena!" Raine called, dashing off to the bridge and grabbing the Mizuho native's hand, running away before she had time to protest. The villagers left behind stared and whispered.

"Shady friend?"

"Crazy assassin?"

"Estranged lover?" cackled a particularly nasty old lady.

"I never thought about it that way," said Zelos, walking up behind them.

"Neither did I," said a dazed Orochi, earning him numerous stares. "Er…"

- - - -

In the distance, Raine questioned Sheena.

"Have you seen Kratos? I was planning on leaving early, if that's okay with you."

The chief thought for a moment. "I have just about everything taken care of here," she said. "I think Kratos was making arrangements to get us Rheiards. He should have taken Zelos with him."

Raine laughed. "I don't think that would make for very interesting conversation."

Little did they know, Kratos had found Zelos after Raine's ambush of Sheena and the two were flying to Altamira for rentals. Their chat went something like this:  
Zelos: So… not many hunnies on Derris-Kharlan, are there?  
Kratos: …  
Zelos: Eheheheh…heh.  
Kratos: glare  
Zelos: I'll shut up now.

Raine sighed. Suddenly, Sheena noticed the state of her clothes.

"We can't let Kratos see you like that! You've ruined his favorite outfit!" Raine raised her eyebrows. _Maybe I was right after all. _"Come on, let's get you a bath and some new clothes."

Raine followed obediently and entered the bathhouse, having grabbed a towel and soap on the way in. She took a nice, long bath, and had just emerged and was drying off when suddenly, she heard from outside, "No, you CAN'T take those in to her."

Another familiar voice replied in a whine. "Aww, why not, Sheena? She needs clothes!"

"No."

"Why not?"

"NO."

"Pleeeeeeeeease?"

"NO!"

"Aww, you don't have to be so jealous, Sheena! You know you're my one and only –"

SMACK. A few seconds later, Sheena called, "Are you covered?"

Raine wrapped a towel around herself. "The coast is clear," she replied, and Sheena slid open the door, leaving an outfit much like her own chief outfit, except for the fact that Raine's was white with a purple obi.

"Here you go," she said, standing at the door. "Kratos and Zelos are back. Apparently, he took him after all," she said, bemused. "So whenever you're ready, we plan to go to Sylvarant and see how Lloyd is doing."

Raine remembered with a start. "Genis!" Hastily, she fixed her towel. "He'll be all right, won't he? He knows how to take care of himself," she said, wracked with concern.

"Don't worry!" Sheena laughed. "He's perfectly capable. Now, I'll let you get ready." She slipped out the door, closing it behind her.

Raine smiled. "Genis is fine," she reassured herself aloud as she got dressed. Realizing that Sheena must have taken Kratos' clothes with her to be washed, she sighed in relief. _I can't imagine that he'd speak to me ever again after that. Holding up a conversation with him is hard enough as it is. _She sighed and exited the bathhouse, gathering her deck brush before walking to the entrance of the village.

Kratos was leaning against a nearby building as Sheena fended off Zelos' advances. "Are you ready?"

Raine nodded, surprised that he had even said something. The mercenary headed over to a dark blue Rheiard, but Raine was kept from following when Zelos grabbed her arm.

"Wait, Raine! Ride with me," he pouted. "The banshee is angrier with me than usual."

"Let's go, Zelos!" Sheena called, pulling him back with her.

"Have mercy, Raine!" Then: "Oof! Well, Sheena, I'm glad you trust me enough to pilot this thing!" WHACK. "Ouch."

Raine got on the blue Rheiard behind Kratos, securing her deck brush under a conveniently placed cargo strap and closing her eyes. Ever since she had visited Exire and her mother – no, Virginia – she had begun to fear heights. As soon as the craft roared to life, she breathed in sharply and grabbed Kratos. The angel chuckled nearly inaudibly as Raine focused on taking deep breaths and holding on. When she finally opened her eyes, they were descending onto the Gate. Zelos and Sheena landed soon after. Kratos and Zelos turned off their crafts.

The old attendant stumbled out of his shed, grumbling something to the effect of, "…didn't have two worlds when I was a kid." Raine felt Kratos stiffen under her hold and analyzed the mercenary in front of her. _He's known about the two worlds for thousands of years._

There was a click as the attendant shifted the bar, causing the Gate's platform to light up. After several seconds there was a quick period of blackness before they appeared in the area surrounding Triet.

Zelos wasted no time and quickly started his Rheiard. "To Dirk's house, then?" Sheena shouted over the whir.

"…"

Raine sighed and yelled back, "Right!" But she noticed that Zelos was whispering something to Sheena, who seemed to be reluctantly agreeing to something.

"Want to race?" Zelos challenged.

"…" Raine was greatly relieved.

"C'mon, it's only for ten minutes!"

Kratos responded by starting their Rheiard. "You can't be serious!" Raine laughed nervously.

"All riiiiiiiiight!" cheered Zelos.

"Wait, wait –" Raine continued.

"Three, two, one –!"

The two Rheiards lifted off the platform, leaving a bewildered attendant behind. Sheena was laughing and holding onto Zelos, but Raine was just holding on for dear life. After about of a minute of stirring up sand (the two teams had been staying relatively close to the ground), the half-elf watched as Zelos gained altitude, craning her head around Kratos. Her eyes widened and she shrunk back behind the swordsman when she saw what was ahead: they were entering the forest.

"Hold on."

Raine whimpered and clutched harder as the craft zoomed through the trees. She cringed at some of the squeezes between the shrubberies; often, it was a very tight fit. But she couldn't blame Kratos – he was doing an amazing job… of saving them from a violent, fiery death that he himself had put them in danger of.

After what seemed like forever to Raine, the Rheiard emerged from the forest and entered the clearing before Dirk's house. Kratos slowed the craft down to a halt as he circled the clearing and came to a halt. Several seconds later, the orange Rheiard descended from the sky at an alarmingly rapid pace. There was a small scream before a cry of "SYLPH!" echoed throughout the land.

The three spirits used air to ease the inevitable hard landing but couldn't prevent it completely. Sheena was thrown off the craft and was subsequently caught by the Sylph. Zelos met a more violent fate, flying in the opposite direction and into the house.

Raine was unaware of her mouth hanging open but quickly closed it when she noticed Kratos getting up and walking smoothly into the house as if nothing had happened. She started to get up but subsequently fell off the Rheiard, discovering that her legs had gone numb with fright.

Regaining her composure, she got up and watched as Sheena dismissed the Sylph and walked over to the half-elf. "Now, what to do about him…" the summoner said, bemused.

"Oh, right." The two walked over to Zelos' crumpled form by the house.

"Ohh…" Zelos moaned. "Sheena, you are so cruel sometimes!" She huffed and stormed into the house. "You'll heal me, won't you, Raine?"

Raine sighed and walked back to the Rheiard, only to find that her deck brush had been snapped in two, most likely from flying too closely between the trees. _And to think, that could have been me._ "This is for challenging us to the race," she said with a smirk. _Talk about the epitome of bad karma. _Zelos moaned and fell unconscious. _This will be amusing_, Raine thought. _Kratos heal him? I doubt it. _She uncrumpled Zelos' form from its spot against the house and laid him out flat on the ground.

"Raine!" She looked around. "Up here!"

Genis was up on the balcony. "Genis!" Raine shouted back. He grinned and disappeared into the house then came outside on ground level a few moments later.

"Sis! You're okay!" He smiled.

"I can take care of myself, thank you," she said, mussing his hair – which was getting diffuclt to do, as he was rapidly approaching her height in his adolescence.

"So can I!" he replied in defense. "But it doesn't look like he can." Genis pointed to Zelos.

"Oh, right. Do you have a lemon gel?"

"Of course." Genis pulled one from his bag and handed it to his sister, who took Zelos' blade from its sheath and slit open the gel's hard casing. Raine poured the contents into his mouth. After several moments, the Chosen regained consciousness.

"Oh, Raine, my kind savior, how I owe you my –"

"It was my gel," Genis interrupted.

"Oh," Zelos said simply, getting up and walking to the door. "Shall we?" he said, opening the door. Raine let Genis go first, who stuck his tongue out at the Chosen as he walked past. Zelos was forced to keep a calm face for Raine but made a few obscene hand gestures while she wasn't watching.

Inside, the others – Dirk, Colette, Lloyd, Sheena, and Kratos – were at the table. Almost in unison, Colette and Lloyd stood up and shouted, "Hello, Professor!"

Raine laughed. "Hello, Lloyd and Colette."

"Don't I get a welcome?" Zelos asked, coming in behind Raine. "I need a hug to make up for being ignored," he whined.

"NO, he doesn't," Lloyd and Sheena said as Colette started walking towards him.

"So, Kratos, what brings you here?" Dirk asked – whether irratbly or in his regular tone, the others couldn't tell.

- - - -

A long discussion ensued as Raine and Kratos retold their stories. There was a short silence afterwards as everyone decided what to do.

"Where's Presea?" Genis asked suddenly.

"My little beauty is working with that other guy. They're still overseeing the destruction of the mines. Regal said it was his mission, and he couldn't be interrupted."

"Oh."

Lloyd finally said, "Well, se should go to Sybak tomorrow to figure out why Seles went after Raine, since she couldn't be working alone. It's very uncharacteristic behavior of her as it is. Anyway, we might find some clues there." The others agreed. "Well then…"

"I'm hungry," whined Zelos.

"I'll cook!" Raine offered.

There was a long silence as everyone stared at Raine with looks of incredulity written across their faces.

"Er…just kidding."

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note:**  
Holy cow! It's been so long since I posted a new chapter. ...sorry... I've had it on my to-do list for ages, but somehow it just kept getting pushed back. So today, I was bored in journalism, and thought, "I should probably update that story of mine." I've been busy playing Tales of Legendia and doing my fourth playthrough of ToS, so I blame the demon that is laziness. And Joan of Arc for existing, since I have to do a research paper on her now. Anyway, I've been unconsciously working on detail, since this chapter seems to be less talking and more depicting. At least, I think so. I hope you're not upset that there's not too much action in this chapter; I plan for plenty of events in chapter five. But I snuck a few things into this chapter:  
-the color of Kratos' and Zelos' Rheiards correspond to the color of their angel wings;  
-the outfit Sheena gave Raine is Kratos' extra outfit from the PS2 (Japan only) version of the game;  
-Regal's off doing other stuff because I don't like him (...no offense!) and would butcher his character.  
Mhmm. This has been an incredibly long Author's Speech by me, so I give you kudos for reading it. And extra thanks to Mayu of the Fallen Kitsune, who reviewed chapter three recently and reminded me to write this chapter! Review, review, review, and don't forget to eat your vegetables!


	6. Baths and Berries

**Summary: **After the journey of world regeneration, Kratos decides to make a visit to the others. But after Raine is attacked, his plans for 'vacation' are ruined.  
**Rating: **PG-13 (T)  
**Disclaimer: **The Tales of Symphonia characters and previous plot belong to Namco & Kosuke Fujishima. I own only the plot of this story.

* * *

**Salvation Vacation  
****Chapter Five : Baths and Berries**

Raine woke the next morning to the sound of arguing from downstairs. She sighed and got up, changing into her normal orange outfit; Genis had been smart enough to bring their things along with him when he 'escaped' from Meltokio. She opened the door to hear a final scream of "PERVERT!" that reverberated throughout Dirk's house, then heard stomping as a toweled, newly-bathed Sheena scaled the stairs. The professor stepped aside to let the ninja in, who barely cast her a look as she furiously walked to the other side of the room, apparently going to get clothes. Raine closed the door behind her and walked downstairs to where the rest of the group was.

Kratos sat at the table across from Dirk, drinking some (very strong) coffee and staring off into space. Dirk, apparently thinking Kratos was staring at him, gazed steadily back at the mercenary. This lasted for several moments until Dirk finally gave up, taking his mug to the sink in shame.

Raine stared outside, looking for the source of all the commotion. "What happened?" she asked, turning back to Kratos, but he just gave her a pre-coffee death glare and resumed staring off through another window. She sighed and stepped outdoors, where Lloyd, Colette, and Zelos were standing around.

"Zelos, I can't believe you're still trying to catch Sheena bathing." Raine noticed wet footprints leading into the house – _she must have been taking a bath out in the forest_.

The former Chosen of Tethe'alla sighed and shook his head. "Sheesh, Lloyd, you need to get a sense of adventure! Excitement! Live life on the edge of your seat! Don't tell me _you've _never thought about-"

"Thought about what, Zelos?" Colette asked innocently.

"Well, Colette," Zelos said, moving closer to her, "sometimes, when a-"

Raine quickly chose this moment to interrupt. "Good morning, Colette."

"Morning, professor!" she said happily, unaware that Zelos was pouting over being interrupted. Meanwhile, Lloyd was shooting death glares at said boy for threatening to corrupt Colette's purity.

"Would you like to make us some breakfast?" Raine asked, somewhat embarrassed at having to ask her student for a favor.

"Sure!" the Chosen replied happily, walking towards the house.

Raine sighed, then joined Lloyd in sending death glares towards Zelos, who immediately whimpered.

"Make yourself useful, Zelos." Raine commanded. "Go to Triet and get us another Rheiard. There's seven of us, so we're one short at the moment."

"Right, my scholarly lady!" he said, very happy to have been offered the opportunity to escape the growing number of people irritated with him. (The current tally was five – the only ones not mad at Zelos in one way or another were Colette, and, well, Zelos himself.) He walked a few feet away before extending his orange wings and making his way towards the desert city.

Lloyd groaned. "Well, this is going to be a long trip," he said before making his way inside the house. Raine nodded to no one in particular before following.

By this time, Sheena had dressed and joined Kratos at the table, drinking a cup of tea. Colette was hustling around, apparently trying to make a meal. Lloyd sat at the table next to Sheena, and Raine seated herself by Kratos. Several moments later, Genis appeared at the bottom of the stairs; he had spent the night on the deck by Lloyd's room (where the girls had been staying), not being one to violate privacy.

"Morning, Genis!" Colette called happily as the younger Sage moved into full view. "How are y-" She stopped at the sight of his hair. "Umm.."

The silver-haired mage had quite possible the worst case of bed-head ever. "What?" he said. "Why is everyone staring at me?"

"Uhh, Genis.." Sheena started.

He caught his reflection in the window at the bottom of the stairs. "Ugh!" he shouted, becoming the second person to stomp back upstairs that day. He returned several moments later and took a seat next to Raine silently. Soon afterwards, Colette arrived at the table and started delivering breakfast.

If you could call it breakfast.

"..."

"What is this stuff?" said Genis, still somewhat annoyed.

"Uh, yeah, Colette. I've never seen anything quite like it," Lloyd added.

Sheena stared at the concoction before her with a very confused expression on her face. Raine simply kept quiet, knowing that if she spoke up, her own cooking would be up for comparison – and she certainly didn't want that.

"It's a milkshake!" Colette said, with a slightly hurt expression upon her face. "What, did I do something wrong?"

"Exactly how did you make this, Colette?" Genis asked, staring at the solid chunks swirling around in his drink.

"Well, first I got some bananas and blueberries, then I stuck them in the glasses, and then I got the milk out and shook it up!" She vigorously shook her hands to demonstrate. "Then I poured it in!"

"Uh, Colette, I don't think-" Lloyd started.

"Drink up!" Sheena interrupted in a rather uncharacteristic manner – apparently, all this yelling at Zelos had taken its toll and made her quite famished. She took a big swig of her shake, downing it in one gulp. The expression on her face changed from surprised to somewhat pained to agonized as she finished it up.

"How was it?" Colette asked hopefully.

Sheena turned slowly to the white-clothed girl. "Colette..." she said, a sick expression on her face, "did you peel the bananas?"

"Oh! So that's what I forgot!" she said, delighted. "I thought I did something horribly wrong!"

Wordlessly, Sheena stepped up from the table, then walked towards the door, her pace increasing until she threw it open and dashed away. Faint retching sounds could be heard in the distance.

"Oh, no! I hope she's all right!" Colette said, worried, as she chased after her. Meanwhile, a soft humming became louder and louder before a burst of wind threw open the door once more and the noise stopped completely. Zelos entered, arms full of boxes.

"Hey, guys! I brought breakfast from the Sand Cafẻ!" The happy expression on his face faded when he saw that everyone had something in front of them already. "Oh, you already ate," he said, crestfallen.

Wordlessly, everyone pushed their glasses to Dirk's end of the table, and the dwarf emptied the contents of each into a nearby garbage can.

"We're still hungry, Zelos," Raine said, trying to save any needless explanation.

"Yeah, starving!" added Lloyd, having already forgotten their earlier disagreement in his stomach's favor.

"All right!" Zelos said, beaming, as he brought boxes to everyone and took a seat by Dirk. "Eat up!"

- - - -

After everyone had eaten (Sheena and Colette had returned mid-meal, with the ninja looking only slightly worse for the wear and trying to convince Colette that no, it wasn't her fault, really), they got down to business.

"So, we're trying to figure out what Seles and Kuchinawa are up to," Sheena said, puzzled.

"Correct," replied Raine. "But where to start?"

Kratos, who had been silent all throughout breakfast, finally spoke up. "Raine," he said, "where's your deck brush?"

"Oh, it broke," she said, narrowing her eyes slightly. "But I suppose it's outside. Why do you ask?"

"Yeah, why's her broom so important?" Genis chimed in.

"If you all will follow me," the seraph said, getting up and walking outside. The rest of the crew joined him near where the Rheairds were parked.

Raine walked over and picked up the snapped pieces of her makeshift rod. "Here," she said, handing him the parts.

Kratos took both sections and looked them over, before finally finding what he was looking for at the wooden side above the brush. "..."

"What is it?" said Zelos, voicing what everyone was thinking.

The mercenary handed the brushy part back to Raine before tossing the handle side back into the woods. Raine scanned it and gasped. Written across the side opposite the brush's bristles were the words:

PROPERTY OF ASGARD HUMAN RANCH

Lloyd, ever the curious one, took the brush from her and read the words aloud before adding, "Dammit! I thought we'd heard the last of them!" He cursed and stepped backwards, throwing the piece of the brush on the ground. Colette stepped closer to comfort him.

"What are we gonna do?" Sheena said.

"Easy," replied Zelos. "We'll take them out like you guys did before."

"Right!" said Genis. "For the sake of people like Marble!"

Raine caught Kratos looking towards Anna's grave and saw him falter for a moment, but then he resumed his normal posture.

"Er," Raine started, somewhat unsure of herself, "I suppose we should be getting started."

After a few moments of trying to form a plan, Dirk stepped outside to wish everyone good luck. Raine got her real staff back from the bedroom, and they boarded their Rheairds: Genis rode with Raine; Colette with Lloyd; Sheena with Zelos; and Kratos went solo. After each craft was started, the party lifted off and headed in the direction of Asgard.

Raine clutched harder than ever at the controls, causing Genis to ask her what was wrong. She replied, "Nothing," and told herself that there was nothing to be afraid of – although it wasn't the same as when she had a certain purple mercenary to convince her that everything was all right. She shook that thought out of her head as they descended towards the ranch – or what was left of it.

Everyone debarked, Kratos being the first one to go forward, like always. After a few moments, the rest caught up with him in the scattered debris.

"Sheesh, Raine, you definitely did a thorough job," Sheena said. Raine shot her a small smile before continuing to look around. Finally, someone spoke up.

"C'mere, everybody! Over here!" The group rushed towards Colette and Lloyd, who was trying to move a rather large remnant of the building away from what seemed to be some sort of device. Kratos and Zelos immediately jumped in to help, and with their combined strength, the slab fell away.

Newly revealed was the computer that had run the ranch – the very same one that Raine had set to self-destruct.

"Looks like you missed something after all," said Zelos, bewildered.

Raine stepped forward and examined the computer as the others gathered around her. Apparently, the computer shielded itself from the blast, somehow. After a few pushing of buttons, the machine roared to life once again. True to its purpose, the computer projected a map - a map that still showed rooms. Many, many rooms than before.

"But this doesn't make any sense!" Lloyd shouted in frustration. "There's nothing left!"

The group continued to stare for several moments before Raine reached towards the computer. However, her movements were halted when the computer did something no one expected it to do.

It spoke.

It spoke in a spine-chillingly familiar voice. "And you were the one who supposedly saved our world? I can hardly believe it. Inferior being."

"Wh-what! Who are you!" Lloyd unsheathed his swords, preparing to attack. The rest of the party drew their weapons as well, except for Raine and Kratos. Raine's hands were still poised over the keyboard in shock, while Kratos held a death grip on the pommel of his blade.

"What? You haven't heard of me? The one who allows the legacy of the five Desian Grand Cardinals to live on? I'm quite shocked, Lloyd Irving. Why, my father dealt with your mother, in fact! I suppose that makes us rivals as well."

"No!" whispered Colette as the rest of the group held their breath.

"I am Leth, the son of Kvar."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey, look who's back! Sorry for the wait; school was hectic until the very last day. But it's out for summer, now, so updates should be posted often! I'll try to keep myself on a schedule, but I don't want the story to seem forced. In any case, I have an idea of how the rest of this story is going to go, so I'm not completely devoid of ideas. I might be starting a comedy fic over the next month, so we'll see how that goes, too. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget to review! (Special thanks to YinYangTigress, whose review today reminded me that I should update – even at 1:06 in the morning.) 


	7. A New Threat

**Summary: **After the journey of world regeneration, Kratos decides to make a visit to the others. But after Raine is attacked, his plans for 'vacation' are ruined.  
**Rating: **PG-13 (T)  
**Disclaimer: **The Tales of Symphonia characters and previous plot belong to Namco & Kosuke Fujishima. I own only the plot of this story.

* * *

**Salvation Vacation**

**Chapter Six : A New Threat**

_"I am Leth, the son of Kvar."_

Several members of the group gasped sharply; Colette held a hand in front of her mouth in horror. Suddenly, the hologram screen flickered to life, presenting an image of a young half-elf in his early twenties; he appeared not much older than Lloyd.

"What's the matter, Irving? Did you really think you had eliminated us?"

Lloyd dashed forward and gripped the edges of the console, knuckles turning white in the process. "Dammit! How could you have survived! We destroyed everything here!"

The hologram shivered for a few moments; it appeared Leth was laughing. "As you said, Irving, everything _here_ was destroyed. But do you take my father for a fool? After he executed my mother – what a useless woman, her only purpose being to give me life! - he took great pains to make sure I was safe.

"This obviously involved sending me away from the ranch. When I grew older, I gradually realized who I was - and who my father was. Unfortunately, when I returned to this area, I heard news that my father had been killed by your group. Then I realized my destiny. To destroy you!"

Genis couldn't resist the urge to smirk. "Wow, this guy really fits into the role of stereotypical villain, doesn't he?"

"Silence, traitor! A fellow half-elf turning on his own kind – betraying Lord Yggdrasill!"

Genis glared back. "That's not true! Mithos wasn't like you! He just.. just..." he faltered.

Raine stepped up. "You are promoting the same racism that made people start discriminating against half-elves in the first place."

"That's right!" Sheena nodded. "Don't try to act like you know what you're talking about. You've got everything mixed up!"

Leth remained silent for several moments before replying. "Let's see if you know what _you're_ talking about. Take a minute to remember why you are here."

Sheena refocused and said quietly, "Kuchinawa..."

Zelos growled, "Seles... What did you do to my sister!"

Leth laughed once again. "I did nothing. Your so-called friends attacked you of their own accord. Although I daresay they may have had a little help; but you didn't see anyone forcing them to fight, did you? Ah, yes. This brings us back to the topic of traitors."

"No!" Colette shook her head. "I don't know what you did, but we're going to figure it out!"

"That's right!" Lloyd made a fist. "We'll get to the bottom of this and destroy you, too! Just like we did your father." He glanced at Kratos, whose eyes were filled with steel. The mercenary nodded.

"Hahahah! Well, then, let's see what you're capable of." The hologram disappeared once more.

Lloyd shook with anger. "I thought we'd seen the last of them!"

Genis nodded, eyes downcast. "I didn't think I'd have to fight another half-elf again." Raine put a hand on her younger brother's shoulder.

"And Kuchinawa and Seles..." Sheena whispered.

"Don't worry!" Zelos muttered. "We'll finish them off. Right, guys?" he questioned, once again returning to his usual self.

"Right!" Everyone said in unison, Kratos nodding.

"Well then, where will we start?" the seraph asked.

Raine's voice carried over, "I have an idea." The group turned back to the computer to see the Professor inputting data at an alarming rate. "I'm simply using the same technique we did when we reached the ranch for the first time." Suddenly, a map popped up on the holographic screen. "Got it!"

The map consisted of four colors: green, blue, yellow, and red. "Apparently, they represent different levels," Raine said slowly. "The green floor must be ground level, where we are now," she pointed to a small green box. "And here.." she typed a few more buttons, "is the basement area." The blue, yellow, and red areas flickered.

"What are they?" Lloyd asked.

"Rooms, silly!" Colette laughed.

"I think he was asking what their purpose is, dear," Raine corrected gently before typing for a few more moments. Text appeared on the screen.

"There seem to be three chambers. The blue rooms say 'manufacturing,' the red, 'containment,' and the yellow, 'research.'"

"Huh. I wonder what that all means?" Sheena asked.

"I don't have a clue," moaned Zelos.

"Heh, well, you weren't with us the first time around, anyway," the summoner said.

Kratos stepped up. "I can only assume this is set up like the human ranches were."

"But that doesn't make any sense!" interjected Genis. "Lloyd was on a mission to destroy all the exspheres!"

The swordsman nodded. "And we didn't leave any behind in the ranches, that's for sure."

"We're not going to get any answers just by standing here," said Raine. "We have to get in there, somehow."

"I've got that part covered," Sheena said with a smile, pulling out her cards and getting into her traditional stance. "I call upon the servant of Mother Earth! I summon thee, come, Gnome!"

With a burst of light, the summon spirit appeared in all his glory. "I'll crush ya!" he said devilishly, but stopped in mid-air when he realized there was nobody there to attack. "Uh, summoner lady? Whaddaya want?"

Sheena sweatdropped, muttering, "This guy is so hard to deal with!" Raising her voice, she instructed, "Gnome, I need you to open us a passageway to the building beneath the ground."

Gnome started, "But there's nothing- ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I can sense it now! All righty, whatever you say, maaaaaaaaaaaster," he said, with extra sarcastic emphasis on the last syllable. "Hold on to your hats!"

"But we don't have- ah!" Colette shrieked, her wings extending of their own accord and lifting her off the ground.

"Woooooooooah!" shouted Lloyd as the ground quaked beneath him. The shaking knocked Zelos and Genis off their feet as well; Raine just managed to use her staff for balance. Slowly, a layer of dirt subsided to reveal an entranceway to the building.

"Mmph.." Genis spat out some dirt before glaring at the summon spirit. "It's just like the Triet Ruins!" Indeed, there was a stone panel somewhat lower than the surrounding rock.

Zelos stood up. "But how are we supposed to open that?" He turned to Gnome expectantly.

"Sorry, not my division! Guess I'll be going now," Gnome said before disappearing in a flash.

Sheena shuddered in annoyance. "I have no idea."

"Wait a moment." Everyone turned to Kratos. "Raine, if you would do the honors?"

"Ah.. of course!" she said, scurrying over the the control panel, which, luckily, had not been harmed in the quake. After a few beeps and button-pushings, the computer voice announced, "Accessway clear. Entranceway to ranch opening." With a rumble, the panel slid open.

"All right!" Lloyd shouted. "Raine really knows her stuff," he beamed.

"Way to go, sis!" added Genis. "Now..."

Kratos said, "We need a plan."

The group decided to go with the usual "human ranch strategy": they would split up into groups of three, each going to a different chamber. Lloyd, Colette, and Genis would head to the containment area, Zelos and Sheena would take the manufacturing chamber, while Kratos and Raine headed off to the research facility.

"Does this work out for everyone?" Raine asked.

"Of course!" Zelos cheered. "I get some personal time with my favorite hunny."

Sheena's eyes narrowed. "Oh, I just can't wait."

"All right, then. Charge!" Lloyd thrust his fist skyward.

Genis rolled his eyes. "Could you be any cheesier, Lloyd?"

"Shut it!"

And thus the group descended the stairway into the building full of confidence – albeit they were a little unnerved when the panel slid shut behind them; however, Raine assured the others that she would have no problem opening it once again. The three teams branched off when they met the great hallway, each going their separate ways.

Kratos and Raine branched to the right, heading towards the so-called research center.

"Somehow, I don't think we'll find anything encouraging," the Professor said.

"Yes, it is doubtful that anything good will come with the return of one of the Grand Cardinal's families."

"The way Seles acted..." she drifted off.

Kratos nodded. "Kuchinawa did not seem like his true self, either. Perhaps we'll uncover the mystery behind their actions soon enough."

"I hope so," Raine said. The hallway resonated with silence and the sound of footsteps for several minutes. "...Kratos?"

"Yes?"

"Are you looking to avenge Anna once again?" The swordsman bristled noticeably but remained silent. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ask-"

"I doubt she would have wanted any more death to come in her name," he interrupted. "Anna... was rather forgiving, perhaps too much so... She had to be, to forgive me for what I did." Mystery reigned for several seconds longer. "I will fight now for your safety, not just for revenge."

Raine blushed slightly, hiding behind her hair. "That is truly a noble cause – fighting for your companions, I mean." Quietly, she added, "I don't know if I could restrain my anger in such a situation."

Kratos stopped. "Raine," he said, making her halt as well. "I have faith that you can do anything if you so will it."

She shifted, nervous at being complimented. "...thank you, Kratos," she finally said, before resuming the walk down the hall. After several more minutes, they reached a doorway, labeled 'Research Facility.' Motion-sensitive, it opened as the two approached.

Raine gasped as they stepped inside. "Marvelous! Such a collection of literature!"

The room's walls were lined with bookshelves, all packed full of countless books. Many bore titles such as _Harnessing the Power of Mana_ and _The Power of Life_. A table in the center of the room contained stacks of novels marked on certain pages; some lay open to diagrams and pictures.

Kratos added darkly, "All being used for malicious purposes."

His words doubted Raine's mood. "Undoubtedly.." She began to shuffle through books, looking for anything that might pertain to their cause. Grimacing at one – _The Evolution of Exspheres_ – she pulled it out from the rest and began flipping through the pages.

"_When used without a key crest, exspheres drain the host body of his or her physical strength when activated by torture or other means. When removed and placed on a new subject, one with a working key crest, the exsphere works inversely, supplying the user with unbelievable strength – strength taken from the host body." _

Raine shuddered, remembering the victims they had encountered along their journey. She sat down and continued to look through the passage.

_"However, physical strength is not the most powerful asset a body has to offer. As rumored by idealists, a body's true strength lies in the soul. Unfortunately, no methods have been created insofar to harness the force of one's soul."_

"The power of one's soul.." Raine muttered, looking around the room. Kratos continued to scan the bookshelves for other sources of information. She was staring at the door when something caught her attention: out of the corner of her eye, the professor noticed a notebook labeled _Developments_. Reaching over, she paged through the notebook. Although the script was mostly indecipherable, she saw on the last page something worth her time.

_"I have done it! Finally, I have advanced my father's work. I have created the new Exsphere: one capable of harnessing "inner strength," or what some call "the power of the soul." Now it can be mine! Unfortunately, I need great amounts of solidified mana to complete my project. I only have enough to begin testing on a few subjects, but I have a plan to get more. Soon I will be able to capture the essence of the soul and transfer it to another being! Imagine the possibilities.."_

"Hmph." The seraph's snort broke the quiet atmosphere.

"I can only imagine what he's trying to plan," Raine said, worry in her voice. "Some people never give up, do they?"

"Ah, but that would take the fun out of everything, now, wouldn't it?" came a familiar voice.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I can't believe I waited so long to update! I deserve to be hit by many rays of Judgment. (Eek!) Wow, I really need to learn how to manage my schedule. But now that's school's in session, I obviously need more ways to procrastinate, ne? (Teehee.) I always promise more updates, but now I give you permission to personally hassle me at the e-mail address listed in my profile.

In other news, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had a general idea of how it was going to start, but I just thought up the rest of it today. And now I finally have an idea of how it's going to end! (Actually, just a way to connect the eventual ending to everything else – I had a crazy dramatic idea in mind, but no real reason to include it.) Fufufufu...

Oh, and I don't think anyone would want to have a child with Kvar. Nasty! But this chapter's Round of Thanks for motivating my lazy bum go to Scattle. (Claps all around!) _Also_, Lloyd's remark, "Charge!" is Grune (from Tales of Legendia)'s tagline. But most importantly, 'Tales of the Abyss' for the PS2 comes out on October 10th, so don't forget to buy it! No, it's not a sequel to Symphonia, but it's made by the same team who did ToS. I'm anxiously awaiting its release!

Anyway, as always, thank you so much to my loyal reviewers. I'm writing this story for you guys!

And thanks again for reading. Don't forget to review!


	8. Escape

**Summary: **After the journey of world regeneration, Kratos decides to make a visit to the others. But after Raine is attacked, his plans for 'vacation' are ruined.  
**Rating: **PG-13 (T)  
**Disclaimer: **The Tales of Symphonia characters and previous plot belong to Namco & Kosuke Fujishima. I own only the plot of this story.

* * *

**Salvation Vacation  
****Chapter Seven : Escape**

_"Ah, but that would take the fun out of everything, now, wouldn't it?"_

Raine spun around to face the newcomer. "You..." she spat, eyes narrowing. "What are you planning?"

Leth stepped through the automatic door; it _whooshed _downwards to a close behind him. The half-elf didn't need magic to detect how much tenser the atmosphere had become. Was Kratos grinding his teeth, or was that just her anxiety getting to her?

As the son of the Grand Cardinal approached the table, Raine stepped backwards another few feet, picking up her staff as she did so. "I guess we couldn't expect an angel to come from a man – no, _worm _like Kvar, could we?" she muttered. "Just like him, you find joy and happiness in suffering..." She sighed. "And yet we thought the half-elves were superior to those so-called bloodthirsty humans..."

Leth turned from his position at the table, where his hand rested on one of the books. "Happiness in suffering, eh? Odd you should mention that," he replied, raising an eyebrow and looking pointedly at Kratos. "There's a man who has taken his own pleasure in spilling blood. Yet I don't see you attacking him, Miss Sage."

Kratos stood motionless at his words, transfixed by some memory, no doubt of Anna. Realizing she could not rely on him now, Raine stepped forward. "You wouldn't understand, would you? People change. Humans, elves, and half-elves! We've proven ourselves capable of learning. But not _you_... you _and _your father."

"I believe I've had quite enough of this," Leth answered lazily, drawing a dagger from his belt and walking towards her once more. His silver hair barely obscured his elongated ears, those features so similar to her own. "You'll learn soon enough that I'm not like him at all."

Instantly, Kratos unsheathed his blade and moved forward – but Leth threw his dagger to the ceiling just as quickly. Raine swore she saw the slightest trace of a smirk tinging his face before the area plunged into darkness. Seconds later, the mercenary collided with the table and stumbled back with a few muttered curses.

Meanwhile, the healer jumped backwards, surrounding herself with the bookcases for protection. She looked around furiously in an attempt to adjust to the darkness. _Think, Raine, think!_

Suddenly, she felt herself being pushed to the floor. "Kratos?" she whispered, but the figure muffled her voice and replaced the words with its own. Although she didn't immediately recognize the language, its vaguely familiar, soothing quality held her in a trance. She ignored the cold hand at her neck's base, pushed aside the thoughts that something wasn't right, focusing solely on that voice, those words from long ago...

...until another recognizable voice woke her from her trance. "Raine. Raine!"

Eyes shooting open, he woman looked around frantically, but hands on her shoulders kept her from moving. "What is going on?" she hissed, staring blindly at her captor, who also happened to be her partner in that little mission of theirs. Instant recognition dawned on her. _"_Oh. Yes.."

Kratos replied irritably, "Oh, yes, indeed. Welcome back, _Miss Sage_," he said, and Raine heard him getting to his feet and turning around. "I'd suggest a light spell. If you would be so kind..."

She grasped at her side for her staff, pulling herself up using the bookcases for support. "Light!" The magic glyph appeared at her feet. "_Photon!_"

The shadows vanished, replaced by the spell's unwavering energy. Raine walked to Kratos' side; the mercenary stood over the bare table, observing. "He took everything with him," he noted aloud.

"Why would he do that?" she wondered, eyes skimming the shelves. Only when she noticed his Exsphere research notebook was gone did the truth reach her. She turned to the mercenary, who stared back grimly.

"He's not planning on coming back."

- - - - - - - -

"Man, why did I have to get paired with _you_," Sheena groaned, walking ahead of her so-called partner – not like he was helping at all. The two were slowly making their way to the manufacturing section of the plant, and the burdens of the last few days lay heavy on her mind. "Come on!" she shouted back.

"Coming!" Zelos called, having stopped once again to look inside yet another room. He silently thanked Martel for modern décor; those unfurnished areas were hard on the eyes. Prancing along ahead, he grabbed onto Sheena's shoulders. She instinctively swatted him away.

"Zelos, this is _not _the time," she said, whipping around. Her hair returned to frame her face as always, yet something sat ill with Zelos as he looked the ninja over. The red-haired chosen had stepped back out of habit, but he nearly retreated further after realizing just why her eyes looked so watery.

"Sheena, you're..." He returned to her side. "You're crying," he said bluntly.

She turned around again instantly, gloved hand flying up to wipe away the tears. "I am not!" she replied, voice muffled by her arm. But her shaking frame convinced him otherwise.

"Hey," Zelos put a hand on her shoulder. "You all right?" Sheena remained silent. "Look. None of this is your fault. Not Raine's kidnapping... not Seles... not... Kuchinawa." She stiffened. "Quit that! Aren't you listening to what I'm saying? You're _Sheena_. This kind of stuff doesn't bother you. And if it does, that's where I come in. Right?"

Nothing. "Look-"

"I can't do anything!" she blurted suddenly, turning to face him again. "I couldn't save him. He didn't come back to Mizuho, not even after all these years! I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I couldn't make that pact with Volt, I couldn't keep him from attacking our village, and now – and now I can't even make one person return!" She shook her head furiously. "How am I supposed to save him _now_ if I never could before?!"

"Sheena..." He reached an arm around her, but again she turned away. Unsure, the Chosen finally settled with resting a hand on her shoulder again, speaking to her back once more.

"Loosen up, eh? We need you, Sheena. Not Sheena the village leader, not Sheena the helpless victim, not Sheena the scapegoat for hundreds of deaths. We need Sheena the ninja." Nothing again.

Zelos sighed. "All right then," he muttered. "I'm going to close my eyes, and when I wake up, this terrible dream of being paired with the banshee-gone-soft will be over." He shut his eyes. "Three, two, one-"

Opening them, the chosen looked around, but said ninja was nowhere to be seen. "Uh... Sheena? Sheena!" Silence. "I was just kidding about that banshee thing, you know! And you haven't really gone soft! I was joking!" The hallway remained empty.

"SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

A gloved hand cut his scream off. "Shut up, idiot!" she hissed in his ear from behind. Zelos nearly jumped out of his skin. "Ahh-!" She hushed him again, and several moments passed before his breathing returned to normal. "This is a covert operation, you know."

A smirk crept across his features. "I thought you said you weren't good enough?"

She ignored him. "What's this I hear about you needing a ninja?"

- - - - - -

The room before Iselia's former three schoolchildren stretched grandly in front of them.

"It's big," Lloyd stated plainly, turning around and around as if trying to absorb it, while Colette stood wordless, looking straight up.

"Really, now, Lloyd?" Genis countered, stepping forward and pushing his suspenders-clad friend aside. "We're supposed to be looking for people, remember? This is the containment facility..." When nobody replied, he turned around to look at his friend. "Uh, Lloyd?"

"It's really big."

"You're hopeless," the young half-elf sighed and ducked behind a staircase, checking each cell. "There's no one here," he called out. "Go check the other side!" he shouted.

"Uh, right!" Lloyd dashed to the other end of the room and looked through each pane of opaque glass. "I can't find anybody either!"

"Huh. That's really weird..." Genis commented, walking back into the middle of the room. "Find anything, Colette?"

"Nope!" the young angel shouted from her floating position above. "There's nobody here," she replied, slowly letting herself down to the others.

"Then why did that guy take Seles and Kuchinawa?" Lloyd pondered.

"Good question," said Genis absentmindedly. "Kuchinawa did mention something about Kratos being bait for someone, but that doesn't make any sense. Maybe..." He stopped his pacing. "Maybe Kuchinawa and Seles _are _the bait?"

Colette tilted her head. "Why?"

Lloyd's face lit up. "I get it! They wanted to lure Sheena and Zelos in. But what about the Professor?"

"Yeah. Why would they need sis? Was she bait, too?"

"But.. that doesn't make any sense! Who would she be bait for?"

Colette piped up. "Kratos?"

Genis and Lloyd turned to her, horrified.

"_Kratos?!_" The brown-haired boy raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, Colette, I just don't get it."

"Yeah, what are you talking about?"

"Well, uh, I don't know! Don't look at me!" The boys stared her down. "Well, you know, um, Sheena cares about Kuchinawa, and Zelos cares about Seles, right? So maybe Kratos cares about Raine, and somebody was trying to lure him in." The young men didn't say anything. "Huh? What is it?"

"Yeah, I guess that could make sense," Lloyd answered after another few minutes of thinking. "But what would they need my dad for?"

"Really. He was out on Derris-Kharlan, and that's just a big hunk of solidified mana."

The group stood wordless for a moment. "Ugh, it's just too confusing!" Lloyd ruffled his hair. "I still don't -" The room's sudden darkness cut him off. "Who turned off the lights?" he called out. The room rumbled in response.

Lloyd drew his swords; Genis, his kendama; Colette pulled out her chakrams. The three shuffled together instinctively, staring around the room blindly. "Hey! Who is that?!"

_BOOM!_

The three Iselians fell to the ground as the floor quaked beneath them. Near the wall – or rather, the wall's remains – stood Sheena and Zelos, accompanied by Aska.

"Nice work, Aska!" Sheena shouted before running over to the others.

"What is going _on_?" Genis asked, picking himself off the ground and staring at the luminous bird.

"Yeah, what happened?" Lloyd added, taking Colette's hands and helping her up.

"We gotta go," replied Zelos as he sauntered over. "Like, now." This answer did not satiate Genis' curiosity. "Ugh, do I have to explain everything? I thought you were supposed to be smart... Anyway, there's nothing left in the manufacturing plant, and my gorgeous beauty here figured something was up. So here we are, saving your guys' butts again."

A glare from said 'gorgeous beauty' silenced the redhead. "C'mon, everyone! We have to find Kratos and Raine and get outta here!" Sheena shouted, running back to her Summon Spirit. "Grab on!"

Colette extended her wings and flew over to Sheena, who now sat on Aska's back, staring ahead resolutely. Zelos took his spot standing behind her, holding onto the ninja's shoulders. Lloyd and Genis hopped on behind.

"Everybody ready?" The crew nodded. "Let's go, Aska!"

With a deafening screech, the bird took flight, soaring through the room and into the rest of the facility.

- - - - -

Raine hurried after Kratos, who strode ahead of the half-elf almost defiantly. She snorted. Constantly casting her light spells was draining her strength, but in addition to holding her rod, she clutched the left-behind Exsphere books in her arms.

"Hurry up," the mercenary called.

Raine mumbled something indecipherable before doubling her pace. "These might come in handy sometime," she tried to convince herself. "Valuable research lies between these pages!"

But no amount of valuable research could help them now. The professor bumped into Kratos and nearly fell backwards. Regaining her balance, she nearly began to chide him, when she noticed why he had stopped.

The same stone door through which they had entered now blocked the only route of escape.

Wasn't _that_ ironic?

Kratos turned to Raine with a raised eyebrow in challenge. The half-elf tossed her books down with a _thud_ and raced up the stairs, smacking the door with her rod. Nothing. She dropped her staff and put an ear to the stone, trying to listen through, yet no sound reached her. She frowned. No brilliant new ideas came to mind...

Suddenly, a screeching cry echoed through the hallway. Raine dashed down the stairs right as Kratos ran up them, grabbing her books and returning to his side. She noticed the mercenary stiffen next to her, but she smirked; she knew something he didn't, for what seemed like the first time.

Light poured down the hallway from the left, and instants later, the familiar Summon Spirit came to a stop in the grand entryway.

"Raine!" Genis called, and she smiled in relief as her younger brother ran up to her. "Hey, we need to get out of here!"

"I kno-"

"C'mon, Dad, move for a minute, would'ya?" said Lloyd impatiently. Raine turned to see her student at her other side.

"Let's go, sis!"

Raine picked up her staff and walked down next to Sheena and Zelos, Kratos by her side; Colette flew upwards to join the two adolescent boys. The eldest two stared upwards, while Sheena and Zelos sat back, almost relaxed.

"On the count of three!" shouted Colette.

"One..." started the swordsman.

"Two..." counted the young genius.

"Three!" finished the angel.

"Demon Fang!"

"Stalagmite!"

"Stardust Cross!"

The room exploded in a burst of white light from the three attacks, and somehow, when the dust cleared, a shard of sunlight seeped through the now-broken stone.

"We did it!" cheered Genis.

"All right!" Lloyd said, pumping his fist in victory.

"..."

"Well, let's go then, everyone!" Zelos shouted, dashing up the steps to heave the shattered rock aside. Kratos and Raine ran up to join, and moments later, they had cleared a hole big enough to crawl through.

"Thanks, Aska. You did well," Sheena praised the bird, a hand on his neck, as he disappeared in a flash of light. She hopped the steps three at a time and crawled out behind the others, not a moment too soon.

"Hey! Look at the ground!" Raine shouted a warning. The ground seemed to ripple out in waves from the center of the base, throwing her off balance. The earth below rumbled once more, threatening to crumble.

"Everyone, start your Rheiards! Now!" Kratos shouted, and the group dashed to their respective machines. In a flurry of whirs, the four crafts took to the sky.

Raine looked down again to see the earth disappearing in a sort of whirlpool effect. "He wanted us all to die there..." she murmured.

"Well, he hasn't gotten rid of us yet!" Lloyd shouted above the buzz.

Then Raine realized she still held the research encyclopedias in her arms. _No, he hasn't, has he?_

* * *

**Author's Note: **What's this? An actual update? (Gasp!) Once again, I've been incredibly lazy. Lately, Tales of the Abyss has hogged all my time, and now I shamelessly plug it again - go buy ToA!  
But I've worked a little more on how I intend to have the next chapters unfold, so that's a good thing. And I really hope my writing style has improved; the earlier chapters are somewhat imbalanced concerning the ratio of description to conversation, and I hope chapter 7 is different in that way.  
Please, ZelosxSheena haters, don't kill me!

Anyway, thank you all so much for reading, and please review.


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